1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of window glass, particularly for motor vehicles, and is aimed more specifically at window glasses equipped with decorative and/or functional elements attached to the glass. More particularly, the invention relates to a window glass, particularly for installation in an opening in vehicle bodywork, comprising a sheet of glass with a profiled bead that is fixed at least to the main surface of the sheet of glass facing toward the interior in the installed state. This bead may, by way of covering appendage, comprise a lip projecting beyond the edge of the window glass with a sealing rib which can be applied against an adjacent wall part when the window glass is being installed.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is a generally known practice for vehicle window glass to be bonded into the respective openings in the vehicle bodywork. To this end, window glasses are often provided with a profiled bead that adheres at least to the main surface of the glass facing toward the interior, in the installed state. A run of adhesive is applied to the profiled bead and/or near to the profiled bead on this same main surface of the glass. The window glass provided with the run of adhesive is then inserted into the opening in the vehicle bodywork. The latter is surrounded by a mounting flange, to which the run of adhesive is applied. Window glasses in the installed state preferably lie practically flush with the external surface of the bodywork. For such installation, the mounting flange is recessed with respect to the main surface of the bodywork by means of a peripheral angled step. The height of the angled step corresponds to the thickness of the window glass and of the adhesive. In certain embodiments, the edge faces of the window glass are not covered by the profiled bead. As the dimensions of the window glass and the periphery of the opening cannot be matched to one another without tolerance, due to of dimensional variations in manufacture, a space remains, in the form of a groove, between the angled step or the edge of the opening and the window glass.
According to document DE-A1-38 18 930, there is provided, for covering this space, a lip formed directly on the profiled bead bonded to the window, for example by extrusion. In another alternative embodiment from the same document, an additional profiled strip made of a flexible elastomeric plastic is bonded along the peripheral surface of the window on the main surface that faces toward the interior. This profiled strip has a tubular portion, which fills said space when the window glass is in the mounted state.
A shape of profile is also known (from DE-A1-43 01 026), which on three sides surrounds the external edge and the edge face of the window in one embodiment, that is to say also on the external main surface, and which further comprises a lip projecting from the window glass and serving to cover the lateral slot.
Thermoplastics, preferably thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) or thermoplastic olefins (TPO) have mainly been used hitherto as materials for such profiles. With these materials, the lip can be manufactured so that it is already thin enough at the extrusion stage, so that it can be flexed elastically against the edge of the opening when the window glass is installed in the bodywork without generating excessively high reactive forces during the mounting. In addition to its sealing function, the lip centers the window glass in the opening during insertion and keeps the window glass centered.
Dirt can still build up in the space thus covered by the folded-over lip disclosed in the prior art, and can be removed from the bottom of the groove only with difficulty. The space that remains in general actually is greater than 7 millimeters and thus allows a great deal of dirt to accumulate.
The present invention relates to a new type of mounting for a window glass comprising a profiled bead that avoids the aforementioned drawbacks and does not require a finishing strip to cover part of the window glass.